Tag Archives: urban poor

Five community organizations from two barangays in Navotas held its first general assembly last 1 October 2010 in M/S Noah Training Center, Barangay Tanza, Navotas. Some guests were present including Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, from the Diocese of Kalookan, Emma Manjares and company of Damayan ng Mamamayang Pilipinong Api (DAMPA), Ms. Leonora Acosta of M/S Noah Training Center, the Barangay Secretary of Tanza, and Jayne Banayad, a representative from the Office of Congressman Tobias Tiangco.

The program started with an opening prayer led by Lolita Caparino, of Masagana of Navotas Neighborhood Association followed by the opening remarks by Rogelio R. Sario of Samahang Pantalan Uno.An introduction about ACCA Navotas Network and its projects was presented by Marginela B. Brucelo of Masagana of Navotas Neighborhood Association. Issues, problems and plans were presented by representatives from each of the 5 member-organizations: Menelo S. Abueva from Masagana of Navotas Neighborhood Association; Rogelio R. Sario from Samahang Pantalan Uno; Cecilia A. Virtuz from Samahan ng Kababaihan sa Dulong Tangos; and Rosa Estipanio from Samahan ng Maliliit na Mangangalakal sa R. Domingo. An annual report was also presented by Arlene Christy D. Lusterio of TAO-Pilipinas, Inc. the NGO proponent of the ACCA project in Navotas City. Bishop Iniguez, Ms. Manjares of Dampa and Ms. Leonora Acosta of M/S Noah Training Center shared their praises and support to the efforts of the communities in Navotas. Continue reading →

Last December 5-6,2009, the Human Settlement and Environment Program of TAO-Pilipinas conducted a Community Based Solid Waste Management Training to 36 youths from ten communities in Metro Manila (2 areas in Pasay city, 1 area in Manila, 5 areas in Navotas, 2 areas in Quezon City). The objective of the training was to motivate the youth to be more aware of their environment by taking care and giving importance to it. The training was held at the Balay Kalinaw, University of the Philippines, Dilliman, Quezon City with the theme “Community Based Solid Waste Management: Earning by Greening Poor Communities in Metro Manila”. The Community based solid Waste Management was conducted by PO trainers Jocelyn Satajo, Nelyn Balbalosa and Mary Ann Merelos from SHACC Phase 2 in Malibay, Pasay and Marginela Brucelo from MASAGANA in Tanza, Navotas. The four trainers practice SWM in their respective community which give them hands-on knowledge of the various ways of managing solid waste.

The training was composed of nine parts which tackled various aspects of Solid Waste Management including concepts, environmental situation, laws, and sharing of experience from successful implementers of SWM including the Pasay and Navotas experiences. Jocelyn Satajo conducted the first part of the program wherein the participants shared about their expectations from the training. Nelyn Balbalosa gave a short lecture on the “Kalagayan ng Kapaligiran sa Metro Manila” (Environmental Situation in Metro Manila) and “Ang Metro Manila sa ika-21 Siglo” (Metro Manila in the 21st Century). Further lectures and Focus Group discussions were made on the Effects of Garbage on the People’s Surroundings “Epekto ng Basura sa Paligid at sa Tao”, Effects of Garbage on Global Warming “Epekto ng Basura sa Pagtaas ng Temperatura sa Mundo”, Relation of Garbage with People “Kaugnayan ng Basura sa Tao”, Web of Life, 8- Batayang Prinsipyo ng Kalikasan (8 Principles of the Nature), Maghiwalay tayo ng Basura (Let’s Segregate Garbage), Republic Act 9003 and Composting. Continue reading →

At 4:00 pm of 09 October 2009, a Mother, Disaster Victim, Urban Poor Leader, Women’s Rights Advocate, and Development Activist was brutally shot and killed, along with her teenage son, by security forces of a private landowner claiming a parcel of land at Pechayan, North Fairview, Quezon City, Republic of the Philippines.

Myrna Porcare was a long-time leader of the Samahang Magkakapit-bahay sa Pechayan, North Fairview (SAMASAPE), an affiliate grassroots organization of the Damayan ng Maralitang Pilipinong Api (DAMPA). Her community was recently devastated by severe flooding from the typhoons Ketsana and Parma, where close to 100 families, including herself, lost their homes. Within the week after the flood, while the people were still rummaging through the wreck of their houses to salvage the few remaining things that were spared by the flood, about 200 security forces representing an unidentified individual claiming to own the property swooped down on the community and proceeded to build a fence around the area. Continue reading →

Like this:

Ondoy no sooner began to subside than government once again blamed the poor families- estimated to number about 80,000 families (400,000 men, women and mostly children) — for the unprecedented flooding.The government prohibited these poor families from returning to their homes from evacuation centers. Lastly, housing officials talked publicly about evicting all 80,000 families and relocating them outside the city, far from jobs and basic services.

These government actions are based on the belief that the poor cause the floods by blocking the esteros and rivers. Luckily there were other explanations for the flooding. Architects, geologists and urban planners reminded us that the causes of the floods were much more complex, cabinet and city officials conniving with developers to violate sensible planning rules played a big part. So, too, those who logged and quarried in the mountains around Manila. Climate change played a role. Guilty, too, are those city officials who ignored the instructions of the Urban Development and Housing Act (1992) that each city should set aside land for social housing. If that had been done 17 years ago, there would be fewer families on the rivers and esteros. Continue reading →